Google Ads Negative Keyword Tutorial - Bing Ads & AdWords Negative Keyword Lists and Match Types

TL;DR

Negative keywords prevent Google Ads or Bing Ads from appearing for unwanted search queries, even when those queries match targeted keywords. The tutorial explains broad, phrase, and exact negative match types, using examples such as excluding “free” and comparing “running shoes” with “shoes running.” It also recommends reviewing the last seven days of search activity weekly and maintaining focused negative keyword lists. Read on for practical setup and selection guidance.

Transcript

all right what's up everyone welcome to the Surfside PBC youtube channel today is gonna be our negative keyword tutorial for google adwords and it can apply it to Bing ads as well but we're really gonna focus on Google ads here so I just want to start right in the support Google calm under the negative keyword definition so a negative keyword is an... Read More

Key Insights

• ⤴️ Negative keywords are essential for optimizing ad campaigns and ensuring that ads are shown to the right audience.
• 👨‍🔬 Different match types (broad, phrase, and exact) offer flexibility in excluding specific search terms.
• 👨‍🔬 Regularly reviewing search term reports and adding relevant negative keywords can improve campaign performance.
• 👂 Using negative keyword lists can help ensure consistency and save time when managing multiple campaigns.
• 👨‍🔬 The intent behind search queries is crucial for determining the suitability of negative keywords.
• 🫠 Negative keywords are particularly useful for avoiding irrelevant clicks and optimizing ad spend.
• 🫠 Advertisers should continuously refine their negative keyword lists to improve ad targeting and campaign performance.
• 🫠 Negative keywords are applicable not only to Google Ads but also to Bing ads.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are negative keywords in Google Ads?

A negative keyword prevents an ad from being triggered by a certain word or phrase. It tells Google Ads not to show the ad for a specific search query, even when that query matches one of the campaign’s targeted keywords.

Q: Why should advertisers use negative keywords?

Negative keywords help keep ads away from searches whose intent does not fit the offer. For example, a seller of premium or standard-priced products may exclude searches containing “free,” “cheap,” or “affordable” because those users are signaling that they want to spend less.

Q: What negative keyword match types are available?

The tutorial covers negative broad match, negative phrase match, and negative exact match. It says the presenter generally uses broad or phrase match negatives and sometimes uses exact match for longer-tail searches that should be excluded.

Q: How does negative broad match work?

A negative broad match blocks an ad when all words in the negative keyword appear in the search query, including in a different order. With “running shoes” as the negative broad match, searches such as “blue running shoes,” “shoes running,” and “running shoes” are blocked, while “blue tennis shoes” and “Google running gear” can still show the ad.

Q: How does negative phrase match differ from negative broad match?

Negative phrase match blocks the phrase when its words appear in the specified order. If “running shoes” is added as a negative phrase match, the reversed search “shoes running” can still trigger the ad, unlike with the negative broad-match example.

Q: When is negative exact match useful?

Negative exact match is useful when a particular longer-tail search should not trigger the ad at all. The presenter says it is not needed very often because broad match can cover many exclusions, but the choice depends on the search terms being filtered.

Q: How often should search terms be reviewed for negative keyword ideas?

Choose a day such as Monday or Tuesday and review the previous seven days of search activity. The tutorial also notes that a report can cover one day, all time, or another period in which the campaign received activity.

Q: How can advertisers find and organize negative keyword ideas?

Open the campaign, click “Keywords,” and set a date range containing actual activity. Review the search activity for irrelevant queries, add suitable terms to a negative keyword list, and keep the lists tightly focused so campaign searches remain as targeted as possible.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Negative keywords are keywords that prevent your ad from being shown for certain search queries.

• They are crucial for optimizing ad campaigns and ensuring that your ads are shown to the right audience.

• Negative keywords have different match types, including broad match, phrase match, and exact match.